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When you have been around since 1950, you've done and seen a lot and the High Park Ski Club is no different. Our club has changed over the years, but one thing has never changed - our commitment to our members.

high Park Ski Club - A Brief History


1950s: A New Golden Age

  • In the era of leather boots, ‘bear-trap’ bindings, wood skis and rope tows, a group of ardent downhill skiers at the High Park YMCA held their first meeting in 1950.
  • Club downhill ski trips were word-of-mouth excursions in car pools to local hills.
  • In December 1951, the members proposed the election of a president and a board. Herb Houston became the first president. School buses picked up members along Yonge St. Annual membership was $3, $2 of which went to the YMCA.
  • The first trip to Collingwood cost $5.25 for the bus and two tickets. In February 1952, members went on the first overnight trip to Sundridge.
  • The Skier’s Delight Dance in January 1952 was the club’s first social event.
  • High Park was the first club in Canada to bring in Warren Miller to show one of his now-legendary films as part of a gala fundraiser.
  • In the winter of 1952-53, one of the most important steps in club history was taken - the downhill ski school was born. The club arranged a fund to allow one of the club’s best downhill skiers to attend a course given by the Canadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance (CSIA). Club racing also began in the same season
  • The club’s first three CSIA-trained instructors were Ray Morito, Frank Hatanaka and Don Bell. Don remained active with the club into the early 1980s.
  • Late in the decade, a group of cross-country skiers began helping blaze trails at Medonte.

1960s: The Club takes shape

  • Membership reached 400 in 1963!
  • The club left High Park. In 1965, the clubhouse was shifted north to the Westwood YMCA on Robina Ave. Meetings were held at the Maple Leaf Ballroom on St. Clair Ave. W.
  • Long trips began taking root. The first New Year’s Eve trip went to Mt. Tremblant in 1966-67. The next season, the first charter trip went to Europe.
  • In 1969, the club took the shape it still has today. The first by-laws were drawn up, and High Park was incorporated as a not-for-profit adult ski club.
  • The club went on the move again. Meetings and social gatherings were held at the Masonic Temple at Yonge and Davenport.

1970s: The Swinging Ski Club

  • The club rented chalets at Sutton, Tremblant and Blue Mountain.
  • Membership grew so rapidly that the club mandated a cap of 3,000 members. There were long lineups when the October deadline to join approached and many had to be turned away. 
  • Cross-country skiers made up about 30% of the members. Marlene (Johnston) Baily and John Baily organized High Park Ski Club’s first cross-country Ski School in 1971. 
  • By this point, the club had so many members and brought in so much money, the auditors warned it could lead to a Revenue Canada investigation and the loss of our not-for-profit status. So the club brought in famous DJ “Wolfman Jack” from California and threw a party at the St. Lawrence Market!
  • People had lots of fun, on and off the slopes. It was the ‘70s!

1980s: Back to the basics

  • Snow schools decide to focus on basics of ski lessons and races. 
  • Innovations in ski equipment design influences new methods of skiing. 
  • Don Yeaman’s annual Valentine’s Day trip to Kissing Bridge southeast of Buffalo regularly filled six or seven buses—the record was 10!

1990s: Recession and Rebuilding

  • The club responds to a recession-era drop in membership to under 1,500 by forming the marketing committee to lure back former members and recruit new ones.
  • Smoking banned on all HPSC buses.
  • Ron Dean teaches the club’s first snowboarding classes in 1994. He is soon joined by Herb Hoff, who introduces protective padding for beginners.
  • The club migrated again – leaving behind the Masonic Temple, first for Estonian House, then Lithuanian Hall in 1997. The office moved to the 1669 Bloor St. West storefront.
  • The first High Park Ski Club web site came to life in 1998-99 and so did the first e-mail newsletter, SnoBytes.
  • By decade’s end, membership rebounds back to almost 2,000.

The 21st Century: High Park Ski Club continues to evolve

  • Online registration becomes standard for both day and long trips.
  • SnoBiz our club newsletter moves electronically; as well as the HPSC Blog which conintues to keep members informed.
  • Membership starts to grow again after being steady for years.   
  • The Blue Mountain hill climb is revived as the annual "Climb every mountain" tradition.
  • Award in memory of one of the club founders, Oscar Hatashita, is established for the 65th Anniversary Gala.  Denise Janssen is the first recipient for outstanding leadership and dedication.
  • New mission statement approved at the 2019 AGM.
  • Helmets become mandatory for all downhill/snowboard lessons.
  • The snow school re-evaluates approach to lessons and STEP level system. 
  • The 2020/21 season is cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  In response, of cost saving measures is to move to a virtual clubhouse model, giving up the physical clubhouse. 
Term HPSC President
1 1950-51 Graham Wisender
2 1951-54 Herb Houston
3 1954-55 Stan Varcoe
4 1955-56 Ken Coward
5 1956-57 Herb Hill
6 1957-58 Chas. Van Wagne
7 1958-60 Paul Serheniuk
8 1960-62 Malcolm MacLean
9 1962-64 Hans Koehle
10 1964-66 Dave Stock
11 1966-68 Sue McNeil-Smith
12 1968-71 Alan Scott
13 1971-72 Bob Pillar
14 1972-73 Uldis Amolins
15 1973-74 Alan Scott
16 1974-75 John Bratton
17 1975-77 Chris Caton
18 1977-79 Bill Watt
19 1979-80 Bob Radford
20 1980-82 John Hakner
21 1982-83 Barb Halford
22 1983-84 John Allston
23 1984-86 Owen Cosgrove
24 1986-87 Cathy McEwen
25 1987-90 Bill Brooks
26 1990-91 Rudy Marks
27 1991-93 Priscilla Randolph
28 1993-94 Ron Dean
29 1994-96 Mike Goodman
30 1996-97 Raymond Lum
31 1997-98 George Lorenz
32 1998-99 Ray Bielaskie
33 1999-2001 Bob Carswell
34 2001-2002 Warren Hing
35 2002 -2005 May Lee-Goodman
36 2005-2007 Peter Walsh
37 2007-2011 Denise Janssen
38 2011-2012 Peter Walsh
39 2012-2016 George Lorenz
40 2016-2018 David Manning
41 2018-2020 Stella Rossovskaia
42 2020- Justin Graham


  • However, one question remains the same: "Do you ski in High Park?" And our answer is: "We ski everywhere!" 
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